Chapter 03
And so for sixteen long years the whereabouts of Prince Aurora remained a mystery, while deep in the forest, in a woodcutter’s cottage, the three good fairies-men carried out after a fashion their well-laid plan. Living like mortals, they had reared the child as their own and called him Trunks. It was Roshi’s suggestion that won general approval after he pointed that would make their woodcutter’s disguise more credible.
It was the first morning of Spring, the weather was lovely, and the glen was bathed in quietude and joy of living. Yet in the distance a golden eagle wasn’t appreciating the bucolic charm of the scene, mostly because he was hunted by an extremely fearsome, inordinately large and hungry green roster dragon. The dragon was so focused on his lunch, that he didn’t noticed that he was flying over a little house in the woods. Soon you’ll have cause to regret your negligence thought the eagle as he recognized the house…
Indeed, just as the dragon was going to catch his lunch, a window of the cottage opened, and a handsome purple haired young man appeared humming some tune. When the words “Burning Attack” ringed in the whole glen, our dragon was literally blasted away by a powerful ball of energy coming from the mentioned cottage. As the dragon was quickly reduced in a heap of cinders, Trunks mischievously declared “Serves you right buddy, golden eagle are endangered species …” before going to the kitchen to satisfy a sudden and unexplained urge for a toasted cheese sandwich….
At the same time, our three good fairies-men were sit over what’s appeared to be an old book of royal suits ; planning a party for Trunks sixteenth birthday as well as something extra special for his surprise.
“How about this one?” Piccolo suggested as he pointed a very classy ceremonial costume.
Krillin nodded affirmatively. “This is the one I picked too. I knew you’d have great taste Piccolo-kun. I didn’t forget those exquisite bouquets you gave me everyday when we were engaged. Do you remind the one you made to celebrate our first Saint Valentine’s day ?” Krillin gently teased, making blush the normally stoic fairy-men.
“Let me see” Roshi said as he grabbed the book. “Oh he’ll look handsome in it.” he exclaimed thrilled both by the fine suit and the model wearing bikini on the other page.
“Now I thought a few changes here …” Krillin explained them, acting like a famous fashion designer.
“I see, this way it’ll emphasize his musculature” Piccolo commented, proud of Trunks athlete’s physique.
“Don’t forget a Chantilly lace frill…” added Roshi sticking his oar in the conversation.
“And there’s the shoulder line.” continued Krillin as he quickly sketched his conception of an up to date royal suit.
“We’ll make it Mauve.” stated Piccolo, honestly persuaded that mauve was really the most beautiful color of the whole creation and therefore his assertion should be considered as one of the most fundamental and undying truth of the universe.
“Oh no, dear, we’ll make it Red” quickly snapped Krillin.
“But … ” Piccolo tried once again.
“Of course, we’ll need to embroider in gold thread his initials within the regalia” replied Krillin as he cleverly kicked the ball into touch.
“Yes, but how are we going to get him out of the house?” Roshi pointed out with acute insight.
“Oh, I’ll think of something.” replied a very confident Krillin.
Unfortunately for Krillin, that’s when Trunks came down the stairs and caught the fairies-men plotting. “Well, and what are you three guys up to?” he teased them with fondness and mischievousness.
“Up to?” repeated in chorus the three good fairies-men playing for time while vainly trying to dissimulate the fashion book and to come back with a believable story.
“eh, eh, eh, we, we, well, we, we … ” attempted Krillin running out of idea despite his previous bragging.
“Want you to cut some wood” providentially supplied Piccolo to Krillin’s relief.
“That’s it, wood!” vigorously confirmed Krillin as he noticed that Piccolo’s lie had succeed to throw doubts on Trunks certainties.
“Wood ?” Trunks asked skeptically.
“Lots of wood” overbid Roshi.
“But I cut down twelve whole trees yesterday!!!” Trunks reminded them on a whining tone.
“Oh, we need much more than twelve trees.” Krillin asserted firmly.
“Lots, lots more. We just received a special order from the town’s burgomaster” outbid Roshi.
“Yes, he want to rebuild the river’s bridge before winter ! You know how urgent this repair is” added Piccolo while pushing Trunks out of the house all innocent like with the two other fairies-men’s help.
“Now don’t hurry back, dear.” Krillin recommended as Trunks picked up his ax.
“Don’t go too far and above all avoid Disney’s enchanted forest at any cost” Piccolo advised him.
“And don’t speak to strangers.” outbid Krillin in a very motherly tone.
“Goodbye, Trunks!” Roshi said while waving his hand.
“Goodbye” Piccolo and Krillin repeated in chorus following suit of Roshi.
“Goodbye, daddies!” Trunks replied cheerfully before powering up and flying toward the nearest forest.
As Trunks’ form finally disappeared on the horizon, the good fairies-men closed the door and got back inside their cottage.
“I wonder if he suspects.” questioned Piccolo perfectly knowing how astute his pupil was, after all Roshi had gifted him with sharp intelligence.
“Of course not, come on. Will he be surprised!” Krillin reassured him.
“A real birthday party” said a thoughtful Piccolo who despite his austere and grouchy appearance had a heart of gold. He would have give Trunks the shirt of his back without hesitating but would rather die than admit it publicly.
“With a real birthday cake” added a pensive Roshi. Him too had fondness for Trunks, and he had spend the last sixteen years teaching everything he knew to the young prince. It was also him ; when Trunks reached the age of puberty ; who explained him about the flowers and the bees, but also the meaning of carpe diem as way of life.
“Yes, and a fine silk suit a Prince can be proud of.” completed Krillin who was very proud of the nice person that Trunks had become. In a way Trunks was even a lot better person that he had ever hoped he would be in the light of their lack of parental knowledge.
“I’ll get the wands” Piccolo declared while making for the cottage’s attic where they securely hid and locked their magic wand sixteen years ago.
“Yes, you … the wands? ” replied Krillin as Piccolo’s words broke his daydreaming.
“Oh no” let loose a saddened Roshi.
“No magic!” firmly declared Krillin.
“But the sixteen years are almost over” rationalized Piccolo who missed his magic powers.
“We’re taking no chances” Krillin strongly asserted.
“But, I never baked a fancy cake” complained a disappointed Piccolo.
“Oh, you won’t have to honey.” reassured a very confident Krillin while winking at Roshi.
“I’m going to bake the cake.” proudly declared Roshi while putting a chef’s hat on his bald skull.
“You????!!!!!” exclaimed a dumbfounded Piccolo.
“He’s always wanted to, dear, and this is his last chance.” confided Krillin, knowing it’ll touch Piccolo’s emotional chord.
“Well, …” admitted an half defeated Piccolo.
“I’m going to make it fifteen layers with Red and Mauve, forgive-me-not …” explained a very pleased Roshi.
“And I’m making the suit” Krillin announced with pride.
“Come back to your sense Krillin. Roshi never cooked before ! How can he bake a fancy, when he can’t even fry an egg. He’s the worst cook in the entire universe. The last time we allowed him to enter the kitchen he set the whole house on fire. And as much as I love you, I can’t help to notice you don’t even know how to darn a sock. How do you hope sew such a sophisticate piece of clothing” exclaimed an exasperated Piccolo.
“Oh, it’s simple” Krillin answered with confidence.
“All you do is follow the book” outbid an overconfident Roshi.
Before Piccolo came back with another rebuttal to their arguments, Krillin hastily directed him to stand on the nearest chair. Then he enthusiastically ordered “Up here Piccolo-chan, you can be the dummy”.
“The things I do for you Trunks” Piccolo muttered as he granted Krillin’s request. “I still say we ought to use magic” he complained loudly as he climbed on the chair.
Krillin spurned this wise warning as he threw a sheet of red cloth above Piccolo and began cutting it with a pair of scissors. During that time, Roshi had finally tossed all the ingredients needed for the cake on the kitchen’s counter, inducing a great tumult as they landed miraculously almost intact. Piccolo suddenly had a sinking feeling as he watched Roshi carelessly adjusting thermostat of the gas oven, then lighting it just before being blew away by the explosion.
Unfazed by what has just happened, Roshi kept reading from the book “Flour, three cups”. While searching he happily started to singsong “Cups, cups, cups, cups, cups…”. Finally finding three cups of different sizes, he used them to pour flour into the bowl while carefully counting “One, two, three”.
Momentarily reassured by Roshi’s now rather safe activity, Krillin cut a circular hole into what seemed to be -even for Piccolo- an oversized trouser.
“What’s that for?” asked Piccolo.
“Well, it’s got to have a hole in the bottom.” mysteriously answered Krillin.
“That’s for his tail to go through” Roshi kindly explained.
“It’s Red!” shouted Piccolo as he noticed the fabric’s color.
“Oh, lovely shade, isn’t it” Krillin replied as innocently as possible.
“But I wanted it Mauve” persisted Piccolo.
“Piccolo darling, we already argued about this, and we decided that Red was his color.” tried Krillin on a fake conciliatory tone.
“No way, you decided that alone!” angrily growled Piccolo.
Oblivious of the violent quarrel, Roshi still read from the book “Two eggs, fold in gently… Fold? Oh well”. Roshi grabbed two eggs and dumped them, shell included, into the bowl containing the flour, then he started folding them so vigorously that even Piccolo who was completely hulled into the red cloth distinctly heard their shells cracking. But Piccolo exempted him from remarks as he was now literally smothered by the suit.
“Krillin, I can’t breathe !” was all he managed to say in a stifled voice. Fortunately for the sake of our favorite namekian fairy-man, Krillin cut the cloth open at the top allowing him to breathe normally and to take a look at the suit from the inside. His first comment was “It looks awful”
“That’s because it’s on you, honey” Krillin quickly retorted.
Always working on his cake, Roshi kept analyzing the recipe : “Now yeast, one tsp. What the hell is a tsp?” he wondered out loud.
“One teaspoon!” Piccolo supplied in time to avoid another disaster.
“One teaspoon, of course I knew it” Roshi vainly tried to pretend.
“Oh gracious how the child has grown” Krillin exclaimed as he measured some size of the cape.
“Oh, it seems only yesterday we brought him here” Piccolo added, literally moved to the tears, which didn’t happened very often.
“Just a tiny baby” Roshi spoke with a voice full of emotion, causing Piccolo to lose a tiny tear.
“Why Piccolo! I’ve only see you crying on our wedding day… What’s wrong ?” asked Krillin visibly concerned by Piccolo’s state of mind.
“Whatever’s the matter, dear?” questioned an also worried Roshi.
“After the day he’ll be a Prince, and we won’t have our little Trunks anymore.” Piccolo reluctantly confided while trying to stifle that damned tear.
“Oh Krillin!” let loose a depressed Roshi hoping against hope that Krillin might find a way to keep their little Trunks.
“We all knew this day had to come” Krillin tried to rationalize as he stifled a tear too.
“But why did it have to come so soon?” Roshi complained as he started to admit the undeniable truth.
“After all, we’ve had him for sixteen years” Krillin tried to comfort his friends as well as himself.
“Sixteen wonderful years” sighed a nostalgic Piccolo.
“Good gracious, We’re acting like a lot of ninnies! Come on, or he’ll be back before we get started” reacted Krillin as he started sewing again.
What will happen now ? Find out in the next episode “When Disney regains the upper hand!” Same Sayajin hour, same Sayajin channel…..
Author’s Notes :
Don’t tell me that Piccolo can’t cry, he just don’t do that very often. In fact I’ve only see him crying once : it was just before he died from Nappa’s attack because he had tried to protect Gohan. So I guess that losing his little Trunks could be an emotional shock enough powerful to let him lose a tear. I don’t think I wrote an OOC Piccolo here it’s rather the contrary…
